Putting small, lightweight, high-definition (HD) cameras to work in support of suborbital flight experiments is a quandary for many researchers flying payloads on commercial vehicles. The latest (HD) video systems are cheap for consumer markets but are generally limited to fingertip control. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi control help, but electro-magnetic interference concerns often prohibit use of these methods in flight vehicles. Scientific cameras, controllable via wired Internet and other protocols, are substantially larger, heavier, and more expensive. These three qualities and the frequent lack of on-board micro-standard definition (SD) card recording render them unattractive for many spaceflight technology advancement payload programs.

Researchers will test a GoPro Hero-8 with built-in audio control—a feature the principal investigator (PI) showed could be activated by recorded voice commands in ground testing. The parabolic flight test will be a one-person, handheld experiment. Successful proof of operations in weightlessness, and in the noisy airplane cabin, will enable many researchers to improve their own experiments cost effectively by using the HD camera.

•Researchers on parabolic and suborbital flights
•Commercial parabolic and suborbital flight providers